Examination Sequence

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) instituted a policy for all 24 ABMS member boards that limits the period an individual may be eligible for initial board certification to no more than 7 years after completion of training. To comply with this requirement, the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS or the Board) established the following examination sequence for all candidates whose applications for certification are approved.

Prospective candidates are required to apply for board certification within 1 year of satisfactory completion of an approved thoracic surgery residency program. Individuals whose applications are approved must successfully complete the examination cycle to become certified in thoracic surgery. The examination cycle includes Part I (Written) and Part II (Oral) examinations.

Individuals who apply for certification more than 1 year after the satisfactory completion of a residency program would be considered individually by the ABTS Credentials Committee. These individuals must complete any recommended additional training before they are eligible to submit an application for certification.

Once an individual’s application is approved, they are declared a candidate and become Board- Eligible for examination. They must then pass the Part I (Written) examination within 3 years from the date their application was approved. Candidates who successfully complete Part I (Written) of the examination cycle must then pass the Part II (Oral) examination within the succeeding 3 years from the date they passed the Part I (Written) examination. Candidates must begin the examination process within two examination cycles from the time their application was approved; however, if a candidate delays the examination process by one cycle it would count against the 3-year examination requirement. (The Board STRONGLY recommends that candidates apply for and, if approved, take the written exam in December of the same year they complete residency training. ABTS data shows that candidates who delay their exam sequence have a higher failure rate. If a candidate forgoes an exam opportunity, it would be counted as one attempt of three available attempts. The Board does NOT recommend candidates forgo exam opportunities.)

Candidates who fail an examination (Part I or Part II) are eligible to repeat the examination the following year, for a total of three attempts in 3 years for each exam. Candidates have up to 7 years to successfully complete the Part I (Written) and Part II (Oral) examination cycle and become certified from the completion of their thoracic surgery residency, without the requirement of additional training.

Candidates who fail either Part I or Part II of the examination three times, or do not pass either part of the examination within the allotted time period of 3 years, are required to complete additional thoracic surgical educational training, which must be pre-approved by the Board. The required additional training must be completed within the succeeding 2-year period after failing either the Part I (Written) or the Part I (Oral) examination. Candidates who are completing additional training will be considered “in training” and the Board’s eligibility rule will be on hold until that training has been completed. Candidates who complete the required additional training must have their eligibility for examination reviewed by the Executive Director and/or the Credentials Committee prior to being permitted to retake the examination. Once readmitted to the examination process, the candidate then has two more opportunities to pass the examination (Part I or Part II) within 2 years.

Candidates who fail either Part I or Part II a fifth time are required to complete another approved thoracic surgery residency program before they would be eligible to re-apply for certification.

Candidates who pass Part I (Written) and Part II (Oral) and become certified in thoracic surgery are issued a non time-limited certificate with a Milestone that must be successfully completed every 5 years in order to maintain certification.